ATHENS, Tenn. (Mar. 24, 2021) – After falling by a slim margin in game one (3-1), the No. 20 Truett McConnell University softball team bounced back with a dominating 12-1 win in five innings. The Lady Bears improved to 18-6, 11-1 on the season, while the Bulldogs fell to 9-5, 7-3 AAC.
 
GAME ONE 1-3
Neither team was capable of scoring through the first three innings. After Sullivan reached base on a walk, Briley Lawson moved Sullivan to second with a sacrifice bunt. Sullivan got to third on Mattie Brooks' single up the middle and Sullivan scored the Lady Bears lone run on Katherine Kozlowski's single up the middle (1-0). The Lady Bears held TWU scoreless in the bottom half after getting two on base with one out, but the Bulldogs hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to ultimately clinch the game one win by two.
 
LEADERS
Justine Kennington, Brooks, Kozlowski and Lauren Barrett all led the way with one hit apiece. Pitcher Bethany Hyde tossed six innings of five hits, three runs, six walks and six strikeouts. 
 
GAME TWO 12-1 | 5 INNINGS
Sullivan's single up the middle scored Kennington to put the Lady Bears on the board first at the top of the first (1-0). The Bulldogs tied it up (1-1) in the bottom of the second, however, it was only up from there for the Lady Bears. Once again, Sullivan singled up the middle to spark the third inning. A pair of singles from Brooks and Kozlowski loaded the bases and Mikayla Sullens followed up with a double to score Sullivan and Brooks (3-1). After TWU made a pitching change mid-inning, Barrett singled to drive home Kozlowski (4-1) and TMU scored another on a walk (5-1).
 
Briley Lawson went on to lead off the fifth with a single to right to fuel another four-run inning for the Lady Bears. Barrett and Ellie Abner both hit two-out doubles to score three more (8-1), and Price singled to score Katie Carruth to cap off another dominating tinning (9-1).
 
After forcing the Bulldogs to leave two stranded on base (5-1), Sullivan led off the top of the fifth with another single. Brooks doubled to deep right-center to score Sullivan (10-1), Kozlowski singled to drive home Lawson (11-1) and Brooks scored TMU's final run of the day on a TWU defensive error (12-1). Karley Hobbs, backed up by stellar defense, ultimately sealed the mercy rule win after with three up and three down in the bottom of the fifth.
 
LEADERS
Overall, the Lady Bears recorded a total of 17 hits, while the Bulldogs had three. Brooks had a perfect game (4-for-4) with three runs, an RBI and a double. Sullivan went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Lawson, Sullens and Barrett each went 2-for-3. Barrett led with three RBIs, while Abner followed with two.
 
Hobbs clinched the win after tossing five innings of three hits, zero earned runs zero walks and five strikeouts. 
 
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears are on the road for another AAC doubleheader at Columbia International University on Saturday, Mar. 27, at 1:30 p.m., before returning home to face No. 8 Reinhardt University at 4:00 p.m.